A Surprise Invitation
by Ayaia of the Moon
Summary: Dudley. Harry. After the War. Ginny is there for moral support. Petunia and Vernon are behind the door. Dudley is confused. And Harry is thinking it was a bad idea. But he's already there. And so small talk ensues. And perhaps Dudley and Harry can end as friends after all. Complete. Reviews appreciated.


"You sure this was a good idea?"

"It was your idea. And we're already here. Just ring the bell."

Harry Potter sighed, obligingly leaning on the buzzer. He ran a hand through his untidy hair nervously, and Ginny Weasley grinned, taking his hand in her own. He didn't say anything, but squeezed her fingers gratefully.

She didn't fully appreciate how hard this was for him—her family was a lot less complicated than his—but he knew he needed to do it. It was the right thing to do. He just wished it didn't make him so nervous and self-conscious.

The door opened a hair, and Harry caught a flash of blonde hair and a small blue eye peering at him before the door opened all the way, revealing the whole of a muscular man, dressed in a smart-looking dress shirt, albeit untucked, wrinkled trousers and house slippers, wearing an expression of shock.

After a moment of awkward silence, Harry let his face paste itself into a grin. "Erm…hey, Dudley. Doing well?"

Dudley Dursely nodded wordlessly, stepping closer and closing the door a little behind him. He was taking the surprise visit remarkably well. Especially considering that the last time Harry had even laid eyes on his cousin, the world had been on the brink of a terrible war. Especially considering that Harry had lived most of his life in resentful loathing of Dudley; something they'd mutually shared, up until the end. "My…my Mum and Dad are visiting," Dudley finally managed, indicating the slightly ajar door.

Harry repressed a grimace. "Oh. Right. Er…here, then." He pushed the envelope into Dudley's large hands without preamble, and felt Ginny's vexed expression on him before turning to confirm it.

Dudley, for his part, received the envelope with an expression of confusion, and Ginny elbowed Harry in the ribs, indicating he explain.

"It's…well, it's right there, isn't it?" Harry stammered awkwardly. "It's…erm…an invitation. A wedding invitation. For a wedding. My wedding, actually."

Dudley looked back and forth from Harry to the envelope, suddenly looking a little fearful. "It…it won't, erm…explode or anything, will it?"

"No! No, I…ah…I made sure it wasn't…you know…magical or anything. The pictures won't even move."

"Oh. Right." Another awkward silence ensued as Dudley studied the envelope, opening it carefully at last, peeking in at the contents. Harry suddenly remembered the time Dudley had consumed the Ton-Tongue Toffee, and understood his trepidation, cursing himself for thinking this was a good idea. There was bad blood between them. They had been estranged for a reason. He hadn't even seen Dudley since the war, and he'd just showed up out of the blue. Of course it was strange.

"Just…we just thought it would be nice. To invite you, that is. Not that you have to come. It's probably stupid," Harry blurted, desperate to keep the silence at bay. Dudley looked up at him, and Ginny frowned, elbowing him in the ribs again. "No! Not…not stupid for _me_, of course!" he amended, looking to his bride-to-be in alarm. "I'm excited. Thrilled. I just meant –"

"And…and you're…?" Dudley inquired, looking questioningly at Ginny, who smiled.

"Yeah. Yeah, this is…yeah, this is, erm, her. Ginny. Ginny Weasley. Ginny, this is Dudley." Harry introduced them quickly, and Ginny offered a hand, which Dudley seized almost too quickly, shaking it firmly.

"Nice to meet you," he murmured, looking from her back to the invitation. "You…your lot…visited once." He looked up at Ginny again, then at Harry, as if to confirm his story. "Right? A bit…A bit ago. Brought…brought some…erm…sweets."

Ginny nodded carefully, exchanging alarmed glances with Harry. "Yes. I remember. That was when we went to the World Cup. For…for our sport." Harry squeezed her hand in silent thanks that she had managed to not mention that the sport involved brooms and quaffles. Then, venturing some small talk of her own: "I heard, actually, that _you_ were top of your…erm…sport. In school."

Dudley grinned uncertainly. "Yeah. That's right. You…you like sports?"

Ginny nodded, smiling. "Yeah. Actually, Harry and I…were pretty good at our sport, too. Played together for a few years. We were both team captain for a bit."

Dudley nodded, though he still seemed a tad uncertain. Perhaps he'd never entertained the notion that Harry's school had normal things like sport teams. "So…I'm allowed to come, then? Your…your lot…won't be mad?" he said then, looking again at the invitation.

"Definitely not," Ginny answered, smiling.

"And…will it be…_only_…your sort? Erm…magic people?"

Harry's eyes widened, and he stammered a reply, surprised that Dudley had even said the word 'magic' at all. "Erm..no, actually. My friend Hermione's parents are…they're coming, and we've invited Dennis Creevy – his dad's a milkman."

Dudley still seemed slightly apprehensive. "And…that…that giant man?"

"Er, yeah. Hagrid. He's coming. His…er…his brother might come too."

"Oh."

Harry fidgeted again, and Ginny spoke. "We'd be delighted if you came, Dudley. Really. We put down a telly-phony number –"

"Telephone," Harry interrupted.

"Telephone number," Ginny corrected, smiling apologetically. "For Hermione's mum and dad. They'll be coming, too, and they said they could give you a lift if you met them in London."

"Right."

There was another awkward silence, and finally Harry smiled. "Okay, then, Dudley. We'll, er, catch you later? Lots to do. You…you should come. Really."

Dudley nodded, and just as Ginny tugged at Harry's elbow, letting him know that they could leave, Dudley seemed to muster more courage. "Say…Say Harry? I...erm…that is…You can come 'round again. And…I might…I think I might just come." He held the envelope up, smiling uncertainly in return.

Harry nodded, hardly sure what else to do.

"And…and it's…It's Ginny? Right?" Dudley turned, looking directly at Ginny, addressing her.

"Right," she affirmed, trying to hide her surprise.

Dudley hesitated, then thrust his hand forward to shake hers. "It's a pleasure. To meet you, I mean. I…I've met your…your family. But…erm…Congratulations."

Ginny smiled, touched. "Thank you, Dudley."

Dudley stood awkwardly, and gestured at the door behind him. "I should…they'll wonder…what's keeping me."

"You…you should tell…tell your Mum," Harry blurted. "She…if she wants to know."

Dudley nodded. "I will do. Really."

Harry nodded, embarrassed, and turned to leave, Ginny attaching herself to his elbow.

There were no more awkward goodbyes, and as soon as Harry heard Dudley's door close, he tightened his grip around Ginny and they disapparated in the blink of an eye.

Dudley Dursley let his curtain twitch closed after witnessing this flagrant magic, and returned to his tea in the sitting room.


End file.
